10 highest-paid NBA players for 2022-23 season
The 2022-23 NBA season has entered its second month and there have already been several interesting stories for fans in the league.
Some of the best NBA players have gotten off to a great start, while others have struggled. The majority of them have a leading role in their respective teams, being under lucrative contracts.
In this article, we present the top-10 earners of the 2022-23 season:
#1 Stephen Curry - $48M
The superstar guard of the Golden State Warriors is the highest-paid player in the NBA with a $48m salary.
Curry, a four-time champion, is under contract with the team until the end of the 2025-26 season and will earn a total of $215.3 million.
#2 Russell Westbrook - $47M
The superstar guard of the LA Lakers is No. 2 on the list of the top earners with $47m in salary.
Westbrook is still trying to find his place in the Lakers' rotation, even as team looks for trade partners. It is likely he will not remain with the team after the season as he enters free agency.
#3 LeBron James - $44.4M
LeBron James is under a lucrative contract with the LA Lakers for the 2022-23 season and is set to earn $44.4M.
The four-time NBA champion recently agreed to a two-year, $97.1M extension that will keep him in LA through the 2024-25 season.
#4 Kevin Durant - $44.1M
Kevin Durant is struggling with the Brooklyn Nets in his quest for an NBA championship. The two-time champion and Finals MVP will earn a total of $44.1M this season.
Durant has three years and $153.4M left on his current deal and will be a free agent in 2026.
#5 Bradley Beal - 43.2M
Bradley Beal is No. 5 on this list and will earn $43.2M in the 2022-23 NBA season.
In the offseason, Beal signed a new, five-year deal with the Washington Wizards, worth a total of $251M, which includes a no-trade clause, as per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
#6 Paul George - $42.4M
Paul George is at No. 6 on our list with a salary of $42.4M for the 2022-23 season. The superstar guard/forward has his sights set on leading the LA Clippers to the NBA championship this season.
He is in the middle of a four-year deal he signed with the Clippers in 2021 and has two years and $94.3M left after the end of the current season.
#7 Kawhi Leonard - $42.4M
Like his teammate Paul George, Kawhi Leonard will earn $42.4M for the 2022-23 season, which puts him at No. 7 on our list.
Leonard signed a four-year, $176.2M contract with the Clippers in 2021 and has two years and $94.3M left after this season.
#8 Giannis Antetokounmpo - $42.4M
The two-time NBA MVP has entered the second year of the five-year deal he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and will earn $42.4M this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is focusing on leading the Bucks back to the NBA Finals, has three years and $146.2M left on his deal after this season.
#9 Damian Lillard - $42.4M
Damian Lillard got off to a hot start and helped the Portland Trail Blazers climb to the top of the Western Conference standings (5-1) as on Nov 2, 2022.
Like George, Leonard and Antetokounmpo, Lillard will earn $42.4M this season. After signing an extension in the offseason, he is set to earn $216m over the duration of his contract until 2027.
#10 Klay Thompson - $40.6M
After missing two-and-a half years with serious leg injuries, Klay Thompson made a triumphant return midway through the 2021-22 season and helped the Golden State Warriors win the NBA championship.
Thompson is now playing his first full season since 2019 and his salary will be $40.6M, good for 10th on this list. He is under contract with Golden State until 2024 and is set to earn $43.2M in 2023-24.